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The differences between wildlife technicians and field technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a wildlife technician, becoming a field technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a field technician has an average salary of $37,520, which is higher than the $33,462 average annual salary of a wildlife technician.
The top three skills for a wildlife technician include GPS, hand tools and harvest. The most important skills for a field technician are customer service, ladders, and test equipment.
| Wildlife Technician | Field Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $33,462 | $37,520 |
| Hourly rate | $16.09 | $18.04 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 9,809 | 123,149 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 40 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
A wildlife technician is responsible for supporting wildlife biologists and management personnel on conducting research projects for habitat preservation and environmental welfare. Wildlife technicians create data reports, assist in laboratory examinations, collect biological samples, and maintaining the safety and security of the premises by observing surveillance equipment and adhering to safety policies and protocols. They also operate and inspect the efficiency of tools and equipment, provide routine maintenance, and request immediate repairs as necessary. A wildlife technician helps in planning wildlife programs and managing information dissemination to the public.
A field technician is responsible for providing technical and maintenance support for the customers by area visits. Field technicians' duties include diagnosing technical problems, replacing malfunction components, upgrading systems for efficiency, running equipment tests to ensure stability, creating draft reports of performed processes, utilizing vehicles and other tools safely, following client's specifications on operating equipment, and adhering to the safety standards. A field technician must have excellent communication and decision-making skills, as well as extensive knowledge of the technological industry.
Wildlife technicians and field technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Wildlife Technician | Field Technician | |
| Average salary | $33,462 | $37,520 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $44,000 | Between $28,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | Springfield, MA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Boulder County | DCP Midstream |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Energy |
There are a few differences between a wildlife technician and a field technician in terms of educational background:
| Wildlife Technician | Field Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Biology | Business |
| Most common college | Duke University | - |
Here are the differences between wildlife technicians' and field technicians' demographics:
| Wildlife Technician | Field Technician | |
| Average age | 40 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.5% Female, 33.5% | Male, 88.5% Female, 11.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 10.1% White, 56.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2% | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 1.7% White, 71.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 1% |